Dr Greg Bahnsen - The Problem of Evil: Defending the Faith? (Part 3)

This recording has been released into the public domain by the Bonson Institute, where we aim to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Before I read our scripture lesson for this morning, I think a word of introduction might be appropriate. I know many of you from years past when I used to come regularly here to Westwood to teach the Bible Lesson spelling for Mr. Rushdooney. At the same time Gary north was teaching, and so we would teach in cycles, the three of us. But that was a few years ago, and since that time I've been out of state, teaching at Reformed Theological Seminary for the last three years. My family and I are now back in Southern California, living in the city of Orange while I work on two books that need completion. And last evening, David Chilton, who was your scheduled speaker, called and had come ill and asked if I wouldn't spell for him this morning. And I was glad to do so. So my name is Greg Bonson, and I hope those of you that I don't know will introduce yourselves after the service this morning. Our scripture reading will be Colossians the second chapter, the entirety of Colossians, chapter two. Paul writes of the church at Colossae, For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge deposited. This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, and joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As therefore ye receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him rooted, and build it up in him, and established in your faith, even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Take heed, lest there shall be anyone that makes spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, which is after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in him ye were made full, who is the head of all principality and power, in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with the hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith and in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. You, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having blotted out the bond written in ordinances against us which was contrary to us. And he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross, having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day, or a new moon, or a sabbath day, which are a shadow of the things to come. But the body is Christ. Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast the head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God. If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, handle not nor taste, nor touch all which things are to perish with using after the precepts and doctrines of men, which things have indeed a show of wisdom and will, worship and humility and severity to the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh. May God drive home to our hearts the significance of this passage from his word of truth. Amen. I've chosen as my subject for today's study and address a subject which I think comes up often in our conversation. It's one which we may not know by its technical name and philosophy, which is called the problem of evil. But it's nevertheless a problem, a difficulty for defending the Christian faith, which we run into, I think, all the time. And we don't run into it simply from academic opponents of the faith. We run into it from the most mundane people in the world. It would seem people who don't care at all for intellectual matters nevertheless resonate very much to the difficulty that is called the problem of pain. Very briefly put, the problem of pain. Ask how it is that if we believe in a God that is in control, complete control of all things, if we believe in this God who controls all things, and yet hold that he is a loving God, a beneficent God, a God who showers good gifts upon men and wishes them well. If we believe in such an all powerful and good God, why do tragic things happen in this world? Why is the moral order so upset moment by moment throughout the world? Why are there wars? Why do we continue to have wars? Why do the innocent suffer? Why do children have to die? Why do people who put away and put away and put away all their lives have never the opportunity to enjoy? Why do those who look forward to being married die shortly before the ceremony? Why is it that our children suffer? Why is it that the innocent in a time of turmoil are the ones that seem to get the worst end of things financially or in terms of physical defect at the time of war? Why do all these things happen if God is in control? If you saw the movie the Hiding Place, you'll know very well that tormenting question that was put by one of the young ladies that feared for her life. She asked those who worshiped the Christian God whether the God that they worshiped was either impotent to do anything about the terrible situation in which they found themselves, or whether he was so sadistic as to not wish to intervene. Was God impotent or was he sadistic? Now, I dare say that your next door neighbor suffers with the same kind of problem with respect to the Christian faith. Your next door neighbor may not write it out in the way that a philosopher would, may not express himself in an academic way, but your neighbor understands that if there is a God in control of all things, a loving God, then there's something sorely wrong with the world in which he lives and moves. And how is it we can defend the Christian faith in the face of that kind of attack? That criticism is, in a very real sense, unnerving criticism for many of us. Because, you see, many of us don't stand outside the pale of those who have suffered. Many of us know what it is to suffer, to undergo turmoil, to know defeat, to know sadness, despair. And often we ask ourselves, why is it that a God who not only is a God of love and a God who is in control of all things, this God allows his own people to undergo the same lot very often that the world seems to undergo. Is he impotent or does he not care? Well, what shall we answer as Christians, to this kind of perplexing criticism of the Christian faith? There are many people, many Christian groups in the evangelical church, that would acknowledge that the Bible calls upon us to have an answer to that kind of question. The Bible tells us that we are to defend the Christian faith. 1 Peter 3:15. Very well known verse, I trust among people here. Peter says that we are to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, being ready always to give an answer to any man who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us. Yet with gentleness and respect at every moment, you should be ready, no matter who your opponent should be, to answer him about the hope which you have. How can you hope that God will vindicate his people? How can you hope that all things work together for good? How can you truly trust in a God that allows things like the war in Vietnam to take place or allows little children to die? Jude 3 tells us to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. How are we to contend earnestly for the faith in the face of this kind of challenge? Many people acknowledge that the Bible tells us to do so. And here's where the difficulty arises. Not many Christians believe that the Bible tells us how we are to defend the faith in the face of such challenges. That is, many tell us that we are to defend the faith. Many tell us that the Bible commands such a defense of the faith. But on the other hand, so many tell us that the Bible does not instruct us as to how we are to defend the faith. And so we're left to our own. That is, once the faith has been defended in terms of our own common sense, in terms of our own reason, in terms of our own facts and values and standards, once we have presented what we think is a credible defense of the faith, then we can bow to the authority of Scripture and we accept what it has to say to our lives and we follow its guidance. But up until that moment, the Scripture simply tells us to defend the faith, and it doesn't tell us how we are to go about it. I think at the very outset, we have to say that that would be a very, very unusual situation for the Bible to give a general command, be ready to give an answer to any man who asks you. And yet not to tell us how we're to pursue giving that answer. The Bible gives other general commands. First place, it tells us to love God and to love our neighbor. But, you know, the Bible doesn't leave it simply at that. It doesn't just in a vague way tell us love and then leave it to us to define what this love is. I suppose if nothing else, it should be very obvious to us that love does not mean committing adultery with our neighbor. And so when God says, you shall love your neighbor, he also says, thou shalt not commit Adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit false witness, so forth and so on. The commandments of God explain to us how we go about this general principle of love. The Bible tells us that we are to worship God. Yet the Bible doesn't leave it to our own devices and imaginations to decide how we worship God. The Bible gives us very explicit instructions. The Bible tells us when we are to worship God, how we are to worship God, and what attitude we are to approach him, and what things we are to do when we are before Him. And so, coming back to this question of how we are to defend the faith, I think it would be extremely unusual if the Bible should give a general command, defend the faith, if you will, and not give us any guidelines as to how this is to be done. And as it turns out, when you read through your Bible, being sensitive to this question about how to defend the faith, as you read through your Bible, you'll notice that over and over and over again, the Bible has something to say about knowledge and about ignorance, about belief and unbelief, about truth and error and standards of truth and standards of error. It has much to say about wisdom and about the mind. It has a lot to say about our intellectual lives. It tells us how to use our minds, how we are to respond to challenges, how we are to answer the unbelieving world. The Bible does in fact, flesh out for us how we can defend the faith, because the Bible gives us very explicit guidelines about how to use our minds. That's why I read Colossians, the second chapter for us this morning. While we can't do a complete course in Christian apologetics this morning by any means, we can at least learn from these few principles that Paul lays down in Colossians 2, some of the standards, some of the guidelines that God would have us to follow as we answer the challenges given to the Christian faith. Maybe a word or two should be given as background to the second chapter of the book of Colossians. Paul is writing to the church in Colossae against the background of certain tendencies in the congregation that would lead them astray from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And while the various religious and philosophical sects which we call Gnosticism were not definite schools, were not explicit schools in Paul's own day, we know that it comes probably 75 to 100 years later that you have the first definite schools of Gnosticism. Paul is already combating what are tendencies toward Gnosticism, tendencies that will eventually mature and ripen into the school of Gnosticism as we later know it. Now, mingled with this Gnostic philosophical tendency in the congregation at Colossae was apparently certain superstitions of the Jews. And so Paul was dealing on the one hand with a philosophical tendency and on the other hand with a superstitious tendency arising from Judaism. Let me say just a word or two about Gnosticism and a word or two about Jewish superstition so that you can understand what Paul is dealing with. Gnosticism is a basic outlook on the world that is found in any number of sects of the ancient world and any number of religions today as well. Gnosticism begins with the assumption that there is an absolute dichotomy and separation between mind and matter, between spirit and flesh, between God and the world. God dwells in the realm of spirit or mind, the world, you see, and our bodies are part of the flesh, part of matter. And the two cannot have any intelligence, cannot have any fruitful, cannot have any property connection. And so God, in order to create the world, could not create it directly as the Christian faith teaches. He rather had to overflow in terms of his own fullness. Now, that doesn't sound like anything very definite to your mind, and it wasn't intended to be. The Gnostics didn't think you could say anything very intelligent about this process, and so they resorted to metaphors. What they said is, God is like a cup that is full to the brim and then it overflows. And this overflowing creates mediaries, angelic spirits and worlds and planets in between God and the world. And finally, way down at the lower level of this ladder of those beings, those spiritual beings that are flowing out from the very fullness of God, you have one that creates the world. And so there's this long series of ions or intermediaries between God and the world. Now, those who wish to worship the true God, those who wish to be found right in his sight, are going to engage in certain superstitious practices. These superstitions often taken over from the Jews, a certain form of asceticism, a certain form of severity toward the body, denying oneself of proper things that God has given in his creation to enjoy, depriving oneself of certain kinds of food or certain kinds of bodily activity. More importantly, however, the Gnostic would teach that a person would know God in terms of mysteries and secrets that were told to an esoteric elite in the congregation. You see, not all people are able to bear the truth. Maybe time to time you have that feeling yourself about Your Christian brothers and sisters say, no, I have this understanding and this insight, and these others don't. It's quite evident that certain people can bear the deeper mysteries and secrets of the faith, and others people can't. They were just not cut out for it. And so the Gnostics, they would get together in small conclaves, secretly, usually in dimly lit places, to share the secrets of the Christian faith, the mysteries of the Christian faith. And only those you see who were the elite in the congregation, only those who were academically or intellectually at the top of the ladder, were able to bear these things. And so you had a combination of elitism, of certain esoteric mysteries and secrets, a certain asceticism and superstition tied to the idea that God was so far beyond the world that he could have no touch with creation. And of course, if God cannot touch matter, then God cannot be incarnate in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Obviously, God would not take on a human body that would be despicable, that would be far below the dignity and majesty and glory of God, that he should take on a human, material body. Now, if you know some of this background, you see, all of a sudden the second chapter of Colossians just really comes alive because Paul is doing everything he can to hammer away at these distinctives of the Gnostic superstition in the church at Colossae. As we look at Colossians Chapter two, I'm going to focus on the first eight verses this morning and then come back and take the lesson, the principles that we've Learned in Colossians 2, verses 1 through 8, and apply them to our opening question about the problem of evil. But as background to Chapter two, it's important, I think, to look at the context. And let's back up to Colossians 1:24. For Paul says, now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the Church. Already you begin to see that Paul is stinging those in the congregation who hold to these Gnostic tendencies. Already he's stressing that there's something important about what's happening in his body. The afflictions of his body, he says, are not for the sake of doing in the body, not for the sake of putting down its passions and desire, but the afflictions in his body are for the sake of the glory of Jesus Christ. And then he brings in the body of Christ, which is very offensive to the Gnostics. And he stresses that Christ too had a body, and in a spiritual sense, the Church is that body. Now, in verse 25, whereof I was made a minister, that is, of the church, I was made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which was given to me to eword to fulfill the word of God. Paul is now explaining his ministry. Verse 29. He'll come back to the same subject whereunto I labor, also striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Paul is going to explain now what the purpose of the outline of his ministry is. Verses 25 and 29 bracket that subject. Now we can look at the intervening verses to see what the content of his ministry is. He says at the end of verse 25 that he has been given a dispensation to fulfill the word of God. Verse 26. Even the mystery which has been hid for ages and generations, but now has it been made manifested unto his saints? Paul says, you want to deal in mysteries. You want esoteric secrets. I tell you that the very purpose of my ministry is to divulge the mystery of God. But you see, Paul immediately insults the Gnostics because the Gnostics felt that the mysteries of God, these superstitions, these esoteric secrets, if you will, were ruined. They were despised, they were made invalid if they should be generally known. If those who could not handle such truths were given these truths, then they would be spoiled. But Paul says that the mystery that he wants to make known is, is a mystery that has been hid in past generations, but now has been made manifest unto the saints. Paul says that God wants all men to see the mystery, not just the elite, not just the secret inner circle, if you will, that God is making known to everyone. He is manifesting. He is opening it up like a spotlight, if you will, so that everybody can see it. And the content of this mystery is explained in verse 27. To whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The Jews, as they were wont to do in New Testament times, as they were wont to do in Old Testament times, and sadly to say, as they are wont to do in our own time, were a very exclusivistic people. They could not believe that God, having chosen them as an elect people, God having dealt with them for 2000 years from the choosing of their father Abraham, could possibly have the same kind of love for the Gentiles, as he did for them. The Jews found it very difficult to accept that the Gentiles would be part of the people of God in the church of Jesus Christ on an equal footing with them. And so that just fed more, you see, the flames of this esoteric inner circle, exclusivism and elitism of the Colossian Church. But Paul says that the mystery that he now makes known to all men is that God's grace in the riches of his glory is for the Gentiles as well. Writing to a basically Gentile congregation, he says, this mystery is the grace of God, Christ in you, not just in the Jews, not just, you see, in this esoteric special sect, but in you the hope of glory. Then verse 28, Paul, again, you see, attacks the Gnostic tendency, whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ. No, not just the elite, not just the inner circle, not just the special ones who can bear the superstitious mysteries of God. But he says, all of God's wisdom is for all of God's children. And he says, my labor is especially to make known this mystery, not to keep it hidden, not to go into back rooms, into dark parlors, and to share it only with the few. But my ministry is to make it known to all men that we might present all men perfect before the throne of Jesus Christ. Okay, so you see the background then, this Gnostic background, this superstitious Judaistic background to this passage. And you see in context what Paul has been saying, that his mystery is a mystery for all men, and that this mystery is that there are no special people in the church, that God's grace is for all. Okay, now with that background to chapter two. He begins in chapter two, which is our text for this morning. For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you and for them at Laodicea. For as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love. And unto all the riches of a full assurance of understanding that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ. Paul says, even though I haven't met you, so many of you are new to me. Nevertheless, I love you and I care for you and I pray for you. And my ministry is directed towards you so that your hearts would be comforted. And then he goes on to say that they might be knit together in love. And now Paul says something, having seen that he can sting those of a Gnostic tendency in the Church of Colossae. He says things that sting us today. He says things which sting so many of those who hold to the Reformed faith. He stings so many of us who hold not only to the Reformed faith, but certain distinctives within the Reformed faith. He stings those you see who gather together for Bible studies of things that others don't understand because they have not been interested or because they have not a heart for it, but nevertheless don't understand. Paul says here, not only is it important that we understand our doctrine in order to lead lives pleasing to God, the truth is unto godliness, as we so often say. But he says, notice that just the opposite is the case as well. Not contrary to this, not in conflict with this, but just as true is the fact that we must live lives of holiness before God in order to have a full assurance of the truth that he has given us. You see, doctrine is unto godliness, and godliness is unto doctrine. An apprehension of God's truth is necessary to live in a way that pleases God. But living a life that is pleasing to God is necessary for a full apprehension of his truth. And I think it's to our shame, even as it is to the shame of the evangelical and fundamentalist world, that we choose one half of this and specialize in it so that we might so often, whether we say it out loud and explicitly, it makes no difference. God hears the thoughts of our hearts. We say so often that we somehow are better than others. Because, you see, we know the truth, and the truth is going to help us live godly lives. And that is true. And on the other hand, godly lives are necessary to understand the truth. Paul says that your hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and from that platform you see unto all the riches of a full assurance of understanding that we may know the mystery of God, even Christ. Then he goes on to speak in verse three of this one, who is the source of all truth and knowledge? Jesus Christ, he says, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge deposited? I do not agree with those who believe that Paul is talking about a certain religious sector of life. I don't agree with those who say that Paul is dealing with matters of Christian doctrine when he says that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. You see, the all is a very important all here. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are deposited in Christ. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge when it comes to mathematics, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge when it comes to agriculture, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge when it comes to the arts, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge when it comes to philosophy. Yes, all the treasures, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are deposited in Christ. For as the proverb says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And those who will not fear God, the fools, as the Book of Proverbs puts it, despise wisdom and understanding. Those who will not begin with a reverent esteem for God, those who will not begin with the fear of God, those who will not bow at the feet of Jesus Christ, are in fact working against all knowledge and wisdom. And Paul wants to make it very clear then that the way we use our minds, even when it comes to defending the faith. Now remember, the way we use our minds is important. And we must, as we use our minds, remember that we begin with Christ and his Word if we're going to have any treasure at all. And he goes on to say in verse four, this I say that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. Paul says, why am I making this very elementary point? Why am I saying this to you? Because, he says, there are plenty of in your congregation who speak so persuasively, you see, who are so convincing, who seem so reasonable, who can speak with golden words that lead you astray. He says, I don't want their persuasive speech to upset the proper order of things. I say this lest you will be led astray. Verse 5. For though I'm absent in the flesh, yet I'm with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, in the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. It says, don't leave that impregnable foundation of Christ. Don't be led astray with persuasive speech, with people who say, well, now look, when it comes to matters of religion, certainly God's word has got to have the upper hand. We must begin there. But when it comes to things outside of the religious sphere, then we begin with human authority and human reason and human research. Paul says, no, don't be led astray. Don't listen to this kind of talk, because if you do, then it will challenge the very steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As therefore you receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. Now, that language of walking in Christ you must understand is the language that refers to the whole of the Christian walk in life and behavior. It doesn't simply have to do with your daily devotional life or your life Prayer, it doesn't simply have to do with the feelings of your heart. It has to do with the way you conduct yourselves, the way you use your body, the way you use your mind, your feelings, your will, everything that is yourself. As you have received Christ, so walk in him. And how did you receive Jesus Christ? Did you receive him because you were so intelligent? Did you receive Jesus Christ because you were so much wiser than others? Did you figure out, you see, that you were a sinner in need of salvation? Did you figure out that God would send His Son? No. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And why did you submit to the Word of God? Because, you see, you were so much more fit for salvation. You were so much more pliable, you were so much more worthy of God's grace. Not at all you became a Christian, if you became a Christian at all, because of your abject humility before God, because you confessed that you were a sinner in need of grace, that there was no worthiness in yourself that God should consider. If you've become a saint, having once become a sinner, it is not in need. Arrogance of mind. It's not because you thought you were so intelligent. It's because God in His grace, enlightened your mind by his spirit to embrace the truth of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented to us in the Scriptures. And Paul says, you remember how you became a Christian, how you bowed your mind as well as your heart. You remember how you stood before God in that day. He says, even as you received Christ, now walk in him. And so is there any room for Gnostic arrogance, an elitist spirit kind of insider's insight? Is there any room for an inner circle? Is there any room for an idea that we are on our own when it comes to certain matters in the realm of knowledge, be they economics or industry, that we're on our own when it comes to apologetics or any other realm of thought, there's no room for that. And if you will continue as you receive Christ, Paul says, you will be rooted and builded up in him, established in your faith even as you were taught, thereby abounding in thanksgiving. So Paul's word to us is, don't leave the impregnable foundation of God's Word. Now in verse 8, he summarizes all that he has said often enough, verse 8 is misunderstood by people just because they fail to see that it has this summary character. Paul has said, in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Christ you are to be steadfast in the faith even as you were taught. Be built up in him. Don't leave that impregnable foundation. Don't be led astray by persuasive speech. Verse 8 then says, Take heed, lest there be anyone who robs you through philosophy. Very often people have read this verse. I can remember when I was going to graduate school in philosophy, how often well meaning Christian friends would remind me of this verse. Paul says, beware of philosophy. Well, that isn't what Paul says, although it's well meaning advice. It's a terrible distortion of God's word. Because Paul says, beware of a philosophy that's after men, after worldly rudiments and not after Christ. Paul makes it clear that there is a philosophy that is after Christ. And if one is to beware of philosophy, then one will also beware of the philosophy after Christ. But that isn't what Paul means. He wants you to follow the philosophy of Christ. He wants you to be rooted in Christ. He wants you to have the treasures of wisdom and knowledge as they are deposited in Christ. But he wants you to be aware of other kinds of philosophy which are after the traditions of men, after worldly rudiments. A philosophy that amounts to vain deceit. And how can you tell which philosophy is after Christ and which is after men unless you study philosophy? Imagine if you went to your doctor this week and you had some kind of ailment that you wanted him to examine and to diagnose, to make some prescription with respect to. And the doctor says, well, I'm sorry, I can't look at your ailment. For you see, I'm only studying health these days. I've decided what is really important are the positive things in life. I don't want to know about disease and infection and these sorts of things. I don't want to know about broken bones and malaria and all the rest. Your doctor says, I only want to know about health. And so I've studied health and only health. I've looked at healthy bodies and I have really put aside looking at sick bodies. And if your body is sick, I don't want to see it. Now such a doctor wouldn't do you very much good. Nor would a teacher who comes to stand before you and expound the word of God. If he says, well, I've only studied what is right and what is proper and good and I know nothing about what the world has to say. I couldn't tell you the difference between in fact a philosophy that is contrary to Christ And a philosophy that is according to Christ because I haven't taken time to study it. Paul doesn't tell us to avoid philosophy. He says, avoid this kind of philosophy that is vain deceit, that is just full of empty illusion, that is vain and that misleads, that deceives you. And what kind of philosophy is that? He explains it in three strokes of the pen. It is a philosophy that is after men's traditions, that reasons according to human standards and according to human authority. Secondly, he says it's a philosophy after the rudiments of the world. That word rudiments here is used also in Hebrews, the fifth chapter of the abcs of a system of thought. And the world here doesn't mean the world as you understand it, as the cosmos of the created order. But the world here is that realm of mankind that is alienated from God in rebellion to him after the rudiments, the abcs of learning of the world, and not after Christ. Well, now, what shall we say to those who say that the faith is to be defended, but the Bible doesn't tell us how to defend it? I dare say in our lesson this morning, Paul tells us a good deal about how we are to defend the faith because Paul tells us a good deal about how we we are to use our minds. Paul says we are to use our minds in the following fashion, remembering that we will be robbed of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge if we allow the vain and deceptive philosophy of men to be our guiding light. If we don't let the word of God be the foundation stone of our thought, the starting point of our reasoning, then we're going to be robbed. Actually, the Greek word is mugged. We are going to be mugged, you see, in a back alley as some philosopher with his persuasive and delusive speech takes away the truth which has been deposited in Christ. We must realize that there is no truth apart from Christ. And therefore those who attack the Christian faith, those who challenge its teachings, must be answered in turn. We must challenge their authority. We must challenge whether it is possible to know anything at all. On the foundations of worldly philosophy, you say, well, that's an interesting general lesson in principle, but how does it come to expression? How can I use that truth? Well, I began today's lesson by saying that one of the most common challenges to the Christian faith is the problem of evil. I'd like to resolve the problem of evil, maybe not emotionally and psychologically for you today, but I'd like to at least show that it is no problem for the Christians. If you'll but follow the instructions of Paul in Colossians 2, remember that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, when your neighbor says to you, look at this evil war in Vietnam. Let's take that as our example. How can a good and all powerful God allow such a thing to take place? Is he sadistic or is he simply impotent? The first thing you want to recognize is that the unbelieving world does not define for us or lay out the options. And so we do not begin by following the tradition of men. We do not allow the unbeliever to tell us that it's one or the other. And so the first thing we must explain to our neighbor with respect and gentleness and love, is that those are not all of the options. That in fact a very powerful God in control of all things can yet be a loving God, and yes, have a plan that he might realize his kingdom on earth in such a way as to allow evil and suffering today. That is to say that his wisdom is above my wisdom, and I am not in a position to challenge his wisdom and plan. Somebody says, but there is so much evil and suffering, to which we must now reply. If all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ, then the knowledge that there is evil in this world is also deposited in Christ. And so we ask our neighbor, how do you know that there is evil in this world? And he says, well, just open the evening paper, read what is said there, listen to the evening news on tv. Can't you see all the terrible things that are happening to which we want to say, are you sure that they're so terrible? How do you know that these are evil? How do you know that this world is not such, that it's different strokes for different folks? And that maybe what you call evil is just in fact the goodness and happiness of others. You see, if you're going to take evil very seriously, and if you're going to claim to know that certain things in this life are evil, then one must have an absolute standard of comparison. One must have a standard by which he knows the difference between good and evil. Now, I realize that this is not a philosophical syllogism and this isn't a long discourse in all the fancy language of the philosophers. But at the very heart of the matter is what Paul tells us about our relationship to Christ. That if we know him, we must know him first of all and all the world after that. And that those who challenge Christ and his Wisdom and authority will be robbed of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And so your neighbor must recognize that in order to identify anything as evil and have an absolute standard by which he discerns between good and evil, he has got to first begin with the absolute truth of God revealed in Christ as it's found in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. That's simply to say that the problem of evil is only a problem for those who are unbelievers, because it's no problem for the believer. It's not an academic problem, because he says evil can't exist apart from the word of God and the absolute standard of God's character. And secondly, for the believer who submits his mind to the mind of God, he says, God does all things well, and I do trust him, even when I can understand, even in a most limited way, what the purpose of certain things are. I trust him nevertheless, that he's working all things to his own glory and for the good of his people. An unbeliever can't accept that psychologically and he can't accept that academically. But you see, in not accepting these things, he is robbed of all the treasures of wisdom knowledge. He has put himself on the slippery slope of relativism and cannot identify anything as evil anymore. And so, by beginning with what is a common truth that there is evil in this world, we finally come to the place where we must recognize that the recognition of that evil is only possible because of a very good God who has made himself known. Now I say this to you this morning, lest any man lead you astray with delusive speech and with a vain deceit that he calls a philosophy after the rudiments of this world and not after Christ. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you that you have given us a faith worthy of defense and you've enabled us to defend it. We thank you that you haven't left us to ourselves and our own arrogance and intellectual self sufficiency. We thank you that Christ has saved us not only from the things that we've done which are impure in your sight, saved us from our evil words and deeds, but he saved us also from our evil thoughts and our evil ways of reasoning. We thank you that He's Lord over our minds as well as over our bodies and wills and emotions. Lord, we thank you that Jesus Christ is in fact the source of all wisdom and knowledge. We thank you that because we know him and because the mystery of God in Christ has been manifested to all your people, that we have a sure foundation of knowledge that we can know him and know all things as well. We pray Father, that you would enable us to follow through with these very elementary principles of your word that we won't be entangled with the elementary principles of worldly learning. We ask you that you would purify our minds and so stabilize us in the faith as it's found in Christ that we might present a pure witness to the world, a bold witness to the world, indeed a witness that will bring the intellectual challenge of the gospel to bear on men. Lord, we know that we can't do this in our own strength and wisdom and therefore we have looked to you and to your Word to empower and guide us today. In Jesus name, Amen.

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